Virat Kohli, the best player to ever grace the cricket ground in this generation, has announced his retirement from test cricket immediately. This big decision comes just before the England series, meaning India will be without their most experienced test player in the upcoming series. Virat Kohli announced this decision on his social media. Reports were coming of Virat expressing his decision to leave test cricket to the BCCI for many days. BCCI had asked Virat to reconsider this decision, but now the “GOAT” has announced that he will no longer be wearing the baggy blue and will just be playing the ODI format for the team.
Virat announces on social media
Kohli, the man who revolutionized Indian Cricket with his aggressive and fitness-driven nature, announced his retirement through a Instagram post in which he wrote
‘It's been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It's tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons l'll carry for life.
There's something deeply personal about playing in whites.
The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.
As I step away from this format, it's not easy - but it feels right. I've given it everything I had, and it's given me back so much more than I could've hoped for.
I'm walking away with a heart full of gratitude - for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way.
I'll always look back at my Test career with a smile.
#269, signing off
Two pillars of Indian cricket are now retired
Rohit Sharma and Virat kohli, the RO-KO duo is now officialy retired from both test matches and T20I and this means that the two pillars of Indian cricket will now be only seen in ODI’s from now on, this decision has left a big void in Indian Cricket and it will take the Indian Cricket many years to replace the two greatest Indian players.
A glorious test career for the “GOAT.”
Virat Kohli is the Greatest of all time in this modern era. The oldest format will now be bidding farewell to the best player of this generation, the player who made the format famous once again amongst the youngsters. From his centuries in Adelaide to “they should feel like hell out there” moment, Kohli gave the fans and the test format many memorable moments throughout his career. Virat played 123 Test matches for India, scoring 9230 runs at an average of 46.85. His highest score is an unbeaten 254, and he has recorded 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries in test cricket. Kohli reached 9000 test runs in October 2024 during a match against New Zealand, he is only the fourth Indian to achieve this feat after Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Rahul Dravid. Kohli made his test debut in 2011 and will be retiring as the best Indian player.
Kohli: Greatest Indian test captain
Kohli took over the test captaincy in 2014 and changed India's approach with an aggressive, fitness-driven culture. Under his leadership:
1. India became the No. 1 team in the ICC rankings for over 40 months
2. He led India to the first-ever series win in Australia in the
2018-19 Border-Gavaskar trophy.
3. He took India to the first-ever WTC final in 2021
Ended his tenure as the most successful Test Captain with 40 wins in 68 matches.
Kohli always did it his way
Virat announced his retirement on Instagram and added the song “MY WAY-2008” by Frank Sinatra and told the whole world that he always played and made decisions in his own way, that’s why he is now leaving the format as the greatest captain and the greatest player. Virat’s retirement leaves a very big void in the Indian Cricket team, and it is going to take the team many years to replace a player like VIRAT KOHLI.
About the Author
Arpit Sharma is a sports writer and journalism student at Chandigarh University, with a strong interest in sports analysis and storytelling. His writing combines match insights with a fresh, fan-first perspective that brings the game to life.
Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Vygr's views.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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